Downstairs hair - what to do?

[Daisysandviolets]

Please don't all laugh at me or judge me for posting this, but what's everyone doing with their downstairs hair for labour. I'm 36 weeks and Although I can't see it, don't think it's ever been this hairy before 🙈 now bump is so big even with a mirror is difficult!

Does everyone just go with it or have a wax or have a go at trying to shave yourself?

[quote EllieGolightly]@BeingATwatItsABingThing I guess I just don't get this viewpoint, maybe some women like to keep a bit of mystery... my husband has definitely seen my vagina so doesn't bother me at all 😂 bodies are wonderful multi functional things, so the context makes no difference.

We draw the line at pooping, that is an adults most vulnerable time and definitely a solitary activity.[/quote]
Yeah, each to their own.

I know people who have an archway instead of a door into their bathroom. The idea of that fills me with horror. DH has obviously seen me in all my naked glory but I don’t want him to be involved in hair removal. In the same way I don’t want to be involved in hair removal from him (head hair being the exception).

I had a full leg and bikini wax at 39 weeks. I like to be tidy, and knew it would probably be a while after giving birth that I'd be able to get back to a salon.

@BeingATwatItsABingThing Definitely, everyone gets to decide what's ok with their own body. An archway sounds a nightmare! When we first started going out I wouldn't let DH see me put tights on, it's not a dignified look for any woman, 7 years later we've progressed to helping each other with landscaping (I do his delicate bits while he holds them taut) but I hope we never get so comfortable we have an archway 😂

@EllieGolightly

Michael McIntyre does a sketch about putting tights on. You’re right; it’s not very dignified.

DH and I have also been together about 7.5 years. I remember reading NCT advice about getting DH to massage my perineum before DD1 was born. We both agreed quite promptly that that would not be happening!

Shaver and a mirror - full term pregnant and can't see what I'm doing otherwise!

Like PP I've trimmed not because I care what the midwives think but because I can't stand the feeling of long hair. That, and from a practical (albeit blunt) point of view, you bleed so much after giving birth that dealing with that volume of blood with long hair and pads is a nightmare. For me it feels more hygienic with minimal hair; purely a personal preference and each to their own, but I can't be dealing with a full crop of hair at the best of times, let alone post-partum!

It saddens me a bit that women have been made to feel so self-conscious about something as trivial as pubic hair...porn has a lot to answer for.

Frankly if we spent half the time we obsess about what our bodies look like just living and enjoying our lives instead we would be much happier.

"Downstairs hair"! Please call it what it is - pubic hair. It's not swearing ffs. How on earth are you going to explain the human body and its functions to your child if you're not mature enough to call pubic hair by its actual name?

As others have said midwiges give zero fucks if your pubic hair is shaped in any way. It has been argued that leaving pubic hair to grow to its fullest around the vaginal opening actually aids birth.

I gave up all pubic hair coiffing - sore, spots, regrowth itch - not worth the energy. Full, soft and doing its job protecting my vulva- much better and aggro free!

@ImaSababa
I have no idea. FTM here and I've only lived out here for around 5 years. I can say with certainty though that a lot of the attitudes surrounding everything here are way way behind the UK.
Ive also not had a great experience so far with the hospitals and doctors, so I'd take a guess that it's not a choice and is just the done thing.

I don't care at all what midwives or whoever thinks of my landscaping, but I do find long hair itchy so don't leave it as it is. It is getting harder to reach though.

So it's not always about what other people think. What we want ourselves is important too.

I was able to shave fully myself until 38 weeks. After that my husband helped me. Can't stand any hair down there. Even after giving birth after a few days it was annoying me. I managed a week but then I had to sort it out,

4th pregnancy and will get a wax near the due date but I've been waxing monthly, for years so it's not for Labour specifically.

I've been worrying about this for ages!!!

No idea what to do.

I usually get waxed regularly as I hate having hair but it's not been possible with covid so quite a bit overgrown!!

I'm thinking I don't want to do anything too close to my due date as regrowth can be really uncomfortable. I definitely don't want to shave as I get loads of ingrown hair when I do and it becomes painful.

I was also thinking that with a c section would I need to wax beforehand? If I had to have one and they shaved it for me it would lead to painful regrowth when I'm already probably in pain. Argh

Hi new they recommend that you don't shave/wax before your c section due to possible risks of infection. I used a lady shaver to trim it as much as possible and the attending healthcare assistant/midwife person in theatre finished it off for me. So I think they do expect some women to come in clean shaven but equally there will be many who go auto naturel. I wouldn't worry too much about it, it won't be an issue whatever you do.

I had a wax a few weeks ago at 21 weeks to see how I would deal with the pain as thinking of having one closer to 'D-Day' it was so painful but I managed to pull through. For a few days after my nun was so swollen and red I thought I'd made a huge mistake! But it took 2+ weeks to even start growing back and now it's grown back it's not as thick as when I use to shave. At the time I said to myself I would never do it again but now I'm thinking I should just for the convenience. Good luck with your decision

@MotherofKitties this would be my view not so much for the in labour and people seeing part but for feeling a little less gross with everything that goes on down there afterwards! Dried blood in hair is not the one when you can't get straight into a shower for whatever reason!

So grateful for this thread 🤪

Never even considered infection coming for this reason. Seriously considering not going bare now

@BabyG123 You might not need a dressing - my c-section was sealed with surgical glue and I didn't need one at all (was surreal tbh). Also if they can see the hair line then they can position the scar well. Plus there's an increased risk of infection.

I've decided I've had enough of ingrown hairs, the inflammation and the agro (I usually epilate), and am taking the opportunity of these last 3 months (am at 28 weeks) to see how fluffy I can go :D. I've bought an IPL as a birthday treat, which I'll have a go with once baby is here and I feel I can!

My C-section advice from the hospital specifically says please do not shave or wax as it increases the chance of infection.

Left it natural due to the infection risk thing, but honestly since then have never gone back and not sure I ever will. Post baby I see everything differently!

@IlanaWexler I had a c section last year so looking likely I'll need one again as they're so close.

I honestly had the worse infection for 5/6 weeks. In and out of hospital. I'm wondering if this is a factor, I did have a dressing. I bet yours felt weird. I was so worried about coming apart again 🤣

Is the infection risk just for c sections?

I understood it was also for vbs, but probably for different reasons.

With DD1 I trimmed before hand - just seemed so much easier to keep everything clean than with long hair, but really didn’t want to be itchy and couldn’t really see what I was doing. Keeping it short made after-care easier too - no getting dried blood stuck on hairs etc.

Bit embarrassed this time... shaved at 6 months as a kind of farewell hoorah (as I don’t think I’ll be able to see what I’m doing from now on - expecting twins so have a MASSIVE bump). To my horror, my hormones seem to be so messed up that it’s barely growing back, and what is there is terribly straggly . So wishing I’d just kept it short, hopefully it won’t look too ridiculous by delivery day!

my dh trims mine with his electric shaver when I cant see it anymore! 😂